Saudi Arabia beheads drug smuggler

Saudi authorities beheaded a Pakistani man convicted of drug smuggling, the Interior Ministry said in a statement today.

Mohammed Naseer Siddiq was found guilty of smuggling heroin into the country, according to the statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency.

He was executed in the Red Sea port city of Jiddah.

Saudi Arabia follows a strict interpretation of Islam under which people convicted of murder, drug trafficking, rape and armed robbery can be executed.

Beheadings are carried out with a sword in a public square.

Today’s execution brought to 58 the number of people, including two women, beheaded in the kingdom this year.

The kingdom beheaded 38 people last year and 83 people in 2005.